Sheet-metal drawer and the like.



'No. 821,578; PATENTED MAY 22, 1906. I. H. ATHEY.

SHEET METAL DRAWER AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3. 1905.

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ATTORNEY 1 UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

ISAAC H. ATHEY, OF CHICAGO,

FURNITURE COMPANY,

SHEET-METAL'DRAWER AND THE. LlKE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed July 8, 1905. Serial No. 268,270.

To a, lull-(m1 it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC H. ATHEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Imrovenients in Sheet-Metal Drawers and the llike, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to filing-cabinets, and has particular reference to the construction of drawers therefor.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction which will give to light sheet metal drawers or boxes greater rigidity, strength, and permanency than they commonly possess, thereby obviating oneof the chief objections to an otherwise highly-desirable construction; and with the-above-mentioned object in view the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the drawings, and incorporated in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a document-file drawer constructedin accordance with my. invention. Fig. 2 shows (the application of my invention to a lain drawer which is comparatively long and has low sides. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal and vertical section, partly broken away, of the drawer shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, or Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a similar view taken substantially on line Y Y of either Fig. 2 or Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view, and Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken substantially on line X X of Fig. 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the body 2 or 2 of the drawer consists principally of an integral sheet of" metal bent four times at right angles to form the sides 3 and 4, the rear end 5, and the forward end 6 where the ends of the sheet metal meet on the line 7, as

shown by dotted and full lines in Fig. 6. The

lower edges of said sides and ends are bent at right angles thereto to form side flanges 8 and 9,the rear end flange 10, and the forward end flanges 11 and 12, the latter meeting at 13, Fig. 5, which is a continuation of the meeting-line 7. In Fig. 6 the side flanges 8 and 9 are shown, respectively, with upturned edges constituting ribs or tenons 14 and 15 ,held in saw-cuts or kerfs made in the bottom 18. A similar rib or tenon 16 is shown projecting from the rear flange 10, and ribs 17 are also formed on the forward flanges 11 and 12. These ribs serve to lock the preferably wooden bottom 18 or 18 to said sides and ends against horizontal movement irrespective of the screws or of which the flanges are shown fastened to the bottom in Fig. 3, and which screws are also shown in the views including the ribs brads 19 by means namely, Figs. 4, 5, and 6. In order to support the thin flexible metallic sides 3 and 4 and ends 5 and 6 rigidly relatively to the bottom 18, I provide locking-pieces or auxiliary ends 20 and 21, which are tapered upwardly in theformofwedges. ends 5 ancl6 are bent over the tops of the lockingmembers 20 and 21 to formoverla s22 and 23 ,respectively,thus making the flexible metal ends 5 and 6 substantially one with the rigid ends or locking-pieces 20 and 21.

The overlaps 22 and '23 are referably made prior to the insertion of tiie wedgeshaped ends 20 and 21 and the latter fitted so that they may be driven in firmly between the bottom 18 and the apex of the angle formed by the-ends 5 and 6 and the overlaps 22 and 23. As the latter are inclined away from the ends 5 and 6, they permit the insertions of upper edges of lockingieces 20 and 21 into the troughs or channe s formed by said ends and overlaps even when the lock ing-pieces are made to fit very tightly. A false front 24 or 25 may then be placed against the sheet-metal end 6 to give the drawer the effect of wood construction. The false fronts 24 and 25 are herein shown fastened to the metal ends 6 by means of screws 26, for which suitable openings have reviously been made through said ends. he false fronts may thus be made in any usual ornamental design, carved or otherwise, without affectin the general construction of a drawer designed to take up a minimum of'space, or which, in other words, provides a maximum of drawer capacity for a given drawer-space in the ca inet.

While but two forms of drawer-fronts, such as 24 and 25, are shown, they nevertheless serve to illustrate the adaptability of the invention to any kind of drawer-front or individual arrangement of drawers.

In Figs. 2, 4, and 6 I have shown the adaptation of the invention to a drawer havin a bottom 18, provided with an opening or slot 27 for the well-known follower-rod 27 used in card-index files and the like.

The upper edges of the a The construction described in the foregoing provides-a drawer which takes up comi a shallow drawer.

paratively little s ace, which is substantially as rigid as an or inary wooden drawer and has the advanta e that it does not depend upon screws, naifls, mortises, or other uncertain joints for its integrity, all of the strain of use being borne by the integral overlapping flan es which engage the rigid or Wooden arts. i he drawer proper, exclusive of its i alse-or ornamental front 24 or 25, can be assembled and held together entirely by the construction shown and by omitting the screws 19, because the locking-pieces 21, cooperating with the several flanges and overlaps, bind the-sides, ends, and bottom firmly together. If desired, the metal ends meeting at. 7-13 may be provided with ribs, such J piece 21.

In Figs. .1 and 3 are shown side rails for supporting documents which stand on end in In said views each of the 2 8 and 29 consists, respectively, of a singlerod of metal or wire, the ends of whichare bent at right angles at 30, 31, 32, and 33, and the bent portions are fastened to the rear of the falsefront by means of a long clamp orstrap 34 and screws 35. This clamp, as shown in Fig. 3, is curvate in cross-section andcovers the meeting ends of the rails 28 and 29. The clamp .34 has a flange or wing 36, through which the screws pass. The verticalportions 37 and 38 are held in recesses 39 and40, shown by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3 as formed in the locking-piece 20.

The use of strap 34 and screws 35 may be obyiated and the general'idea of the drawer itselfi carried. out by bending downward the forward portion of rails 28 and 29 to provide parts similar to 37 and 38 and making vertical recesses 39 and in the ends of lockingpiece 21.

In order to lend still further rigidity to the sides 3 and 4, I have shown the upper edges of same turne v over inwardly to provide strengthening ribs or beads 41.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters ten f 1. In a drawer,- the combination, with a bottom, of sides and ends made of a single sheet of metal having flanges which overlap and sustain said bottom upon said sides and ends, and locking pieces arranged to be held as 14 15, 16, and l'Z, sunk into the locking-- between overlapping portions of said ends and said botto 2. In a drawer, the combination with a comparatively rigid bottom, of sheet-metal sides and ends which have flanges which overlap said bottom at its edges and constitute supporting-ledges, the upper edges of said ends having hooked portions, and lockingpieces 20, 21 arranged to be clamped be-.

tween said hooked portions and said bottom to make the sides and end rigidly fixed to said bottom.

3. In a drawer, the combination, with a bottom having kerfs or grooves therein, of sides and ends whose lower edges are bent inwardly and then u wardly to provide, respectively, supportin ed es for said bottom and ribs which entersaid ierfs or grooves to support said bottom against sliding movement on said ledges.

4. In combination,a com aratively bottom and flexible sides and ends, said si es and ends having inwardly-extended ledges such as 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 which sup ort said bottom, said ends having the hooka es 22 and 23, the lockingieces 20 and 21 riven in between said hoo flanges and said bottom to support said sides and ends rigidly and the rails 28 and 29 having the bent portions 37 and 38 supported in apertures 39 and 40 in the ends of locking-piece 2Q, said rails having inwardly-bent portions at the front of the cabinet the ends of which abut, and a clamp 34 which covers the abutting ends of saidrails and secures the forward ends of the latter to the front of the drawer.

5. A drawer having sheet-metal sides and ends, said sides and ends having supportingledges formed upon their lower edges, the upper edges of said sides being folded or bent to provide ribs 41' and the upper edges of said ends being inwardly bent to provide the hook-flanges 22 and 23, a comparatively rigid bottom supported upon said ledges, the wedge-shaped locking-pieces 20 and 21 which are Wedgedin between said bottom and hookflanges, and screws or brads 19 which secure said ledges to said bottom.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC H. ATHEY. Witnesses:

FRE L. KoEHLER, J. EDWARD KING.

rigid 

